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59 
ONE SITTING-ROOM. 
A few weeks since I visited an old schoolmate for 
the first time since her marriage. She had heen in a 
home of her own some six mouths, and everything in 
it had heen arranged by her own hands and as her 
taste dictated. Such a cosy, restful home feeling came 
over me as I entered the sitting-room. I involuntarily 
exclaimed, “ How beautiful you have made your 
home!” As I realized how much of its beauty was 
due to her own labor, I wondered how she ever found 
the time in which to accomplish so much, and putting 
my wonderings into the form of a question one day, 
she replied : “ By employing the odd minutes.” That 
answer set me to thinking; and as I staid there day 
after day the fitness of things impressed me so very 
much, “ the spirit moved” me to tell the Cabinet 
readers about this home. As I can describe only one 
room now, I have decided that that shall be the living 
room, and promise at some future time to give you a 
sight of the rest of the house. I can only hint at its 
beauties ; but I know that hints can be caught up and 
worked out so as to form many beautiful creations; 
and thus I may help some house-keeper to be a home- 
keeper too. 
The woodwork of the room was black walnut, and 
was simply oiled; and just here I cannot refrain from 
saying that I wish house builders -would use in the 
finishing of rooms those woods which need only to be 
oiled or stained instead of painted. No paint can give 
such soft, beautiful shades of colors. My friend had 
chosen for the walls a plain paper of a delicate shade 
of drab, and a wide, handsome bordering of gilt and 
dark, brilliant scarlet. The carpet was one of those 
lovely all-wools which are now made with vines and 
flowers scattered over it in no set pattern. The color 
of the ground was drab, of a shade matching the wall 
paper, which set off the green of the vines and the 
pink and scarlet of the buds and roses to perfection. 
A lounge covered with green terry filled the space be¬ 
tween two windows. The chairs were of different 
patterns and all invited you to rest; while once in them 
you felt that their looks were a faithful index of their 
characters. Did you ever realize how very much chairs 
differ in degree of comfortability ? Entering the door 
from the hall, the first thing to attract notice would 
be the bright, cheery wood-fire, which sparkled and 
sent out a Warm welcome from an open grate. A 
broad black walnut shelf, directly above, held various 
ornaments; in the centre a pure white dove seemed 
the very embodiment of peace; on one side a tiny vase 
held small pressed Ferns and Sumac leaves; a large 
one held Tradescantia Zebrina, which drooped over 
the shelf and lay on it in beautiful gracefulness. On 
the side were two vases, each large, one filled with 
Tradescantia Vulgaris, the long shoots of which com¬ 
pletely enveloped its receptacle and ran riot over and 
on the shelf: the other held pressed Ferns, autumn 
leaves and vines, the whole forming a handsome bou¬ 
quet. Two large butterflies seemed to have just 
alighted on one of the Ferns a moment to rest them¬ 
selves. The Tradescantia had been growing in 
moist sand some months and was very thrifty-looking. 
Suspended from the wall, midway of the space above 
the shelf, was Vick’s ehromo, “Winter, indoors and 
out.” The frame was of pine and on the plain surface 
were glued grapevine tendrils, the whole stained with 
burnt umber and varnished. Up the cords and around 
the frame a lovely Madeira vine clustered, which was 
growing in a large-mouthed bottle filled with rich 
earth and suspended from the back of the frame in 
such a manner as to be entirely concealed from view. 
One corner of the room held a bracket constructed of 
dark scarlet velvet cut in the shape of a very large 
maple leaf, and over it was worked a vine of small 
leaves done in white glass beads. On this was placed 
a handsome pot containing a root of English Ivy, the 
vine having gone two-thirds of the distance round the 
room, the branches shooting here and there down the 
cords of some pictures, up those of others, and twined 
around a few of their frames. It was held in position 
by very small tacks, and no one would suppose it grew 
in any way or place other than it pleased. One vine 
which was used much with ferns and leaves to deco¬ 
rate picture cords I had never seen, and my friend told 
me to “ guess;” hut I had to give it up. It was the 
common running blackberry vine, gathered just after 
the frost had turned the leaves so many brilliant hues, 
and pressed carefully and thoroughly with a quite 
warm flat iron. It was very lovely. 
Another corner was filled by a bracket of various 
colored worsted worked into canvas in such pattern 
as to form a bouquet of beautiful colored flowers, buds 
and leaves. This held a wax cross which had leaves 
and flowers made of feathers falling over the base and 
twining up the body and over the arms. I think 
nothing can exceed the airy grace of feather flowers. 
A third corner was occupied by a black walnut bracket 
of three shelves, and the two lower and larger of these 
held the books which were in daily use, while on the 
small upper shelf was placed a bust of Dickens. Sus¬ 
pended directly oves this bracket was an engraving of 
Longfellow. How fitting that these two, so eminent 
in fiction and song, should watch and guard over those 
volumes which did so very much to elevate and purify 
the taste of their owners! 
The remaining corner was rendered beautiful by a 
bracket made of white bristol hoard cut in fanciful 
shape, on which seaweed had heen secured in the form 
of a vine. This shelf suppoited a quite large branch 
of red coral, and around that were grouped many 
handsome sea shells. Above this hung a picture en¬ 
titled “ Noon on the Sea-shore.” Whenever my eyes 
rested on these suggestions of “ Old Ocean,” how my 
heart bounded, and pleasant thought came scattering 
all cares and anxieties ! 
I liked this idea of filling up the corners of a room, 
for I found it helps largely towards cosiness. I will 
say nothing of the lamp-mats and tidies which were 
in every proper and available place, because everyone 
knows so well how to fashion beautiful ones, except 
that all were of dark scarlet color mingled with drab 
or white.^ The hay window I must not neglect to 
mention, for the taste displayed in the arrangement of 
the curtains, plants, &c., which were therein. The 
curtains at this window, as well as the other two in 
the room, were of lace ; the cornices were embroidered 
bands of various colored wools on drab rep, so com¬ 
bined as to form a lovely vine of leaves and rosebuds. 
The holders were like the the cornices, and the lam¬ 
brequins of green terry matching the cover of the 
lounge and some of the chairs in shade In the centre 
of the hay window was a low stand supporting an 
aquarium, in the middle of which rose a stately calla 
lilly, the roots held firmly by sand and a little rich 
earth. A few sea-shells were grouped together so as 
to form two little grottoes, and among many small 
plants, other shells and pretty pebbles were scattered. 
Among and over all this prettiness darted and played 
three gold-fishes. On either side of this miniature 
lake was a small fernery with round base containing 
blooming plants and creeping vines. Up the sides of 
the window were plant brackets of black walnut on 
which were plants of brilliant foliage. 
Directly over the stand hung Birdie’s cage, and 
from the same hook was suspended a basket made of 
hoopskirt wires and scarlet worsted. Growing in the 
centre of this was a Mrs. Pollock geranium, clustering 
around that were five Chinese primroses, all of different 
colored bloom, while at the edge was coliseum ivy 
growing so luxuriantly as to cover the supports of the 
basket and fall over the edge, twining in, out and over 
the canary’s home, thus making for him a perfect 
bower. 
But time and space both failing, I must bring my 
description to an end, feeling that the half has not 
heen told. However, I cannot refrain from begging 
some tired and almost homesick housewife to employ 
a few of her spare moments now and then in beautify¬ 
ing the living-room at least with some of the many 
pretty things which are costless. I know too well 
that many people think the time spent in making and 
arranging these articles is wasted time; hut doesn’t 
such help to cultivate a taste for the beautiful wher¬ 
ever found, and thus help the soul to fit itself for the 
enjoyment of its life after it lias gone from the life of 
earth ? If we like not lovely surroundings here, how 
can we enjoy them there ? Then, too, our husbands 
and children like a cosy, restful room much better 
than any other place, and I feel sure that they will 
gladly come to such a home, and that they will prefer 
no other place to it. 
FOOT MATS. 
Cut woolen and flannel pieces of cloth into strips 
three inches long and half an inch wide. Get a pair 
of very coarse steel knitting needles and some jute 
twine—no Other will answer—the same that is used in 
making gunny-sacks, and can always be obtained 
where they are made, if not at the shops. Set up 
fifteen stitches on the needles, and knit once across; 
knit the first stitch on the second row, and between 
the needles put a piece of the cloth at right angles 
with the stitch, and knit another stitch ; then turn the 
end of the cloth that points toward you out between 
the needles, so that the ends will he even, and so on 
clear across, two stitches for every piece of cloth; then 
knit across again plain to get hack to the side where 
you began. The ends of the cloth must always point 
from you as you knit them in. 
I knit one for my phaeton one yard in length and 
five strips wide, sewed together with jute, over and 
over stitch. They are very warm for the feet and are 
very pretty, and it is a good way to use up discarded 
coats, vests and pants. The cloth must not he too 
thick; broadcloth, waterproof, ladies’ cloth, &c., are 
the best for the purpose. Mine is really very pretty; 
the centre is orange and black mixed waterproof and 
a border of black, brightened up with tufts of scarlet 
flannel. Mrs. J. H. S. 
Preventing Wood from Cracking. —A corre¬ 
spondent of the English Mechanic, writing of a good 
mode of seasoning wood, says : Having a great deal 
to do with the seasoning of the harder and better kinds 
of wood, I find that they are all liable to crack badly 
at the ends. I generally give them three or four coats 
of glue on the ends only, which I find is a sure pre¬ 
ventive, till the wood is well dry, and then cut on the 
quarter. 
Gray marble hearths can be rubbed with linseed 
oil, and no spots will show. 
